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The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PRGS.edu) is the largest public policy Ph.D. program in the nation and the only program based at an independent public policy research organization—the RAND Corporation.

Sociologists at RAND

As a discipline devoted to scientifically understanding the social underpinnings of human behavior, sociology is at the core of the work undertaken by RAND researchers. RAND research is motivated by real-world questions or problems, to which RAND sociologists bring theoretical perspectives and methodological tools that help elucidate the role of social context and social actions. RAND sociologists publish articles in academic journals, edited volumes, books, along with reports peer-reviewed and published by RAND. They work in interdisciplinary teams with psychologists, economists, and subject area specialists representing expertise on specific topics.

There are roughly 20 sociologists working throughout RAND, housed within the Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department and the Behavioral Sciences Department, depending on research orientation and interests. They work across a range of research units including Health, Labor and Population, and Education among others. Sociologists at RAND bring a wide range of quantitative and qualitative skills to an even wider range of research projects funded by a variety of sponsors, including government agencies and private foundations, to study a diverse set of social problems. These include topics such as racial and ethnic disparities in health behaviors, college access and affordability for low-income students, group dynamics and cohesion in the military, and social networks and behavior. Resources are available to support proposal development by researchers wishing to seek their own funding, including coverage of time and mentoring from senior researchers.

RAND has an active interest group of sociologists who meet regularly for discussion of sociological aspects of RAND work and external speakers.

Featured Events & Findings

The RAND 2014 Midterm Election Opinion Study tracks public opinion of the U.S. midterm elections by surveying the same people over time. This allows us to observe true changes in public opinion, rather than changes based on who was surveyed randomly.

On March 3 and 4, 2014, Robert Bozick represented RAND at a series of meetings on Capitol Hill as part of a delegation of members of the Population Association of America and the Association of Population Centers. Bozick also met with Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard and presented her with the Population Association of America's Excellence in Public Service Award.

Employment Opportunities

Researcher Spotlight

Behavioral Scientist

Megan K. Beckett is a behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her research focuses on out-of-school time programs for children and adolescents, quasi-experimental research designs, and program evaluations. Beckett chaired a panel sponsored by Institute of Education Sciences' What Works…

Senior Social Scientist

Chloe E. Bird is a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation, where she studies women's health and determinants of gender differences in health and health care. She is also a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Women's Health Issues. She is…

Associate Director, RAND Labor and Population

Robert Bozick is a senior sociologist at the RAND Corporation and the associate director of RAND Labor and Population. His research focuses on linkages between school and work across the life course, workforce development strategies and policies, immigration, and the transition to adulthood for…

Cynthia Cook is director of the Acquisition and Technology Policy Center, part of the RAND National Defense Research Institute, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Since joining RAND in 1997, she has led and worked on a wide range of studies for the U.S. Air Force, the Office of…

Ian Coulter is a senior health policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, where he holds the Samueli Institute Chair in Policy for Integrative Medicine. He is a professor in the School of Dentistry, UCLA, in the Division of Public Health and Community Dentistry; a professor at Pardee RAND…

Sociology Group Menu

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